


Begin Again

by highlinson



Series: Song Based [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Begin Again, Falling In Love, M/M, Red - Freeform, Sad!Louis, Song Based, Taylor Swift - Freeform, enjoy, hopeless!Louis, i just want to cuddle Louis rn, i love metaphors okay, lol, mkay bye, umm it gets pretty poetic somewhere oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 09:39:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1221475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highlinson/pseuds/highlinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis has been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end. But on a Wednesday, in a café, he watched it begin again.</p><p> </p><p>Based on Taylor Swift's "Begin Again" from her latest album RED</p>
            </blockquote>





	Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOw4EfQK72o
> 
>  
> 
> Official video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMPEd8m79Hw
> 
>  
> 
> Lyrics:
> 
> Took a deep breath in the mirror  
> He didn't like it when I wore [high heels]  
> But I do  
> Turn the lock and put my headphones on  
> He always said he didn't get this song  
> But I do, I do
> 
> Walked in expecting you'd be late  
> But you got here early and you stand and wave  
> I walk to you  
> You pull my chair out and help me in  
> And you don't know how nice that is  
> But I do
> 
> And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
> I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did  
> I've been spending the last eight months  
> Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end  
> But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again
> 
> You said you never met one [girl]  
> Who had as many James Taylor records as you  
> But I do  
> We tell stories and you don't know why  
> I'm coming off a little shy  
> But I do
> 
> But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
> I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did
> 
> I've been spending the last eight months  
> Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end  
> But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again
> 
> And we walked down the block to my car and I almost brought him up  
> But you start to talk about the movies that your family  
> Watches  
> Every single Christmas and I want to talk about that  
> And for the first time what's past is past
> 
> 'Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
> I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did  
> I've been spending the last eight months
> 
> Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end  
> But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again
> 
> But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

The heavy hands on the old clock on the wall across from him told him it would be exactly eight o'clock in less than two minutes. Distressed, Louis heaved a sigh, feeling not at all prepared for going out, all his spirits having hidden away somewhere it would take him ages to retrieve them. The unnerved boy nervously fixed his fringe for what had to be the tenth time, still not satisfied with the result but he decided he should just let it be, not seeing a reason in putting any more effort in this whole thing. He still couldn't believe Zayn had actually succeeded in convincing him to go for this date. Sure, Louis knew that he couldn't keep on doing what he was doing now forever, for it was just moping around and avoiding meeting new people at all costs. He was very aware of the fact that he couldn't always take the easy way out, but he was just so fed up with being the one taking risks and then finding out it was for his bad anyway.

Zayn was of course right when he lectured that 'it had been eight months, after all', but Louis just didn't want to go out and try again, he was so tired of being disappointed and left alone. So when this although really handsome guy had asked him out at work the day before, Louis' mouth was already open to bring up another half-hearted excuse, just like it had been trained on all this time but, to his bad luck, Zayn jumped in telling something about how Louis had 'complained just this morning about not knowing to do this Wednesday'. And really, he could have, should have hit him with a shovel just there, but deep in the cell of his heart he had to admit that maybe his best friend was right.

The short boy sighed again, rubbing a hand lazily over his tired face, pinching the bridge of his nose in the effect – his headache was knocking at the back of his mind again. He allowed himself a quick once-over in the mirror again, taking another deep breath while fixing the very last bottom of his navy blue blazer he wasn't too sure he hadn't bought a number too big (He liked to pretend to be taller, sue him).

When he was about to leave, he glanced at his Toms in the mirror, which caused him to chuckle lowly, sadly, followed by a sigh deeper than the ones before. He remembered just all too well how he had always told him to wear something different, shoes that were presentable. But fact is, he liked these shoes, very much indeed. So, for once, he decided to lock Mark - that one man who had been consuming his thoughts even long after he had been gone, that guy who had, in Louis' opinion, made him finally and forever rotten to everyone out there who was willing to pour even an ounce of love on the poor, faded plant that was his soul - out of his thoughts like he should have been doing for the past eight months and left his small flat, Toms audibly shuffling in the hallway.

Although the drive to the café where he was to meet his date, Harry, wasn't that long, he decided to listen to some music to get himself to loosen up and relax a bit. When the soft tunes started flooding into his ears over his black headphones, he just rolled his eyes, starting to get annoyed about how many things he could see a connection with his former boyfriend in. He loved this song, it was one of his absolute favourites, and he decided to just enjoy listening to it for once after all this time of hearing how annoying and soporific it was. He hummed the tune, imagining what it felt like to play it on his piano back at home, and he shook his head in bewilderment about how Mark couldn't like the song.

Louis got to the cosy shop just when the third song had finished, so he quickly packed his headphones and entered the café upon spending minutes to park his car close to it and ending up having to walk a short while after all. He sighed again as he reckoned he'd have to wait some time for his date to show up, just like he was used to, anyway.

But, despite his quite pessimistic thinking, Harry was already standing in a corner not too far away from the counter but not too in the open, seemingly perfect, and he was waving enthusiastically, a bright smile on his face. Louis, who didn't dare to return it, slowly made his way over to Harry who then pulled out Louis' chair generously, causing a blush to spread across the older man's cheeks and finally a tender smile tug at his lips, too, attempting in bringing the corner of his mouth up just a bit.

“You really didn't have to do that, Harry,” Louis started saying but was cut short with Harry making a dismissive gesture with his hand and then saying, smile never leaving his face, “But that's understood!”

Louis looked down, cheeks still tinted a light shade of rosy, shaking his head lightly. “It's just really nice,” he mumbled, wondering about how this was so huge to him since Mark never did any loving gestures like this, and he found himself warming up to the man sitting opposite of him.

At that, Harry threw his head back and laughed fondly, and it reminded Louis so much of a little kid that would laugh when a raindrop got caught in his hair, or at a picture of a cat stuck in a basket, the stupidest things really that only kids would laugh about genuinely, that he chuckled too, despite much quieter than Harry, not wanting to disturb other clients.

“What?”, Louis asked, smile evident in his soft tone, eyes crinkling slightly at the sides. “'S nothing, you're just funny,” Harry admitted, amused by the thought of someone having such genuine joy about such a little thing like having a chair pulled back for him.

That was the first moment Louis really started to think, mostly about how Mark would always tell him to shut up when he attempted at making a joke and how now he didn't have to do anything really to send Harry into a fit of giggles. It made him think about how all this time since Mark had ended it he didn't have any hope about happy endings. He now realised that the real reason behind all of his staying at home and not wanting to meet new people was that all this time, all he ever saw was love breaking into pieces too little to ever be fixed completely, seeing burning passion go up in flames too searing it made your skin, heart and soul hurt and your lung suffocate. All this time he was so sure that no matter how hard you try, love will always end in a whirlwind of screams and pain, heart-break and tears, that it will only tear you down so much you never want to crawl out of your hole again and that, if you finally do, it all would end just the same.

But as he was sitting here on this Wednesday, the smell of fresh coffee and just-out-of-the-oven baked goods, watching Harry smiling and laughing at him, because of him, his dimples evident on his soft chin, his eyes shining with hope similar to the one Louis used to have a long time ago, it made him pick up his own hope again, made him want to try and fight and prove his very own image of love that he pictured destroying and hurting wrong. He wanted to start over, wanted his heart to be fixed, he wanted to give others hope by telling how he himself found back his way to a love that was passionate but healing, exciting yet mending, he wanted to be able to be proud of himself because he would let it all begin again.

The easy silence that had fallen onto them after Harry's laughter had subsided was soon unrevealed by Harry bringing up rather common topics they still had fun to discuss. Not too soon after, a blonde waitress, whose smile was bright but fake nonetheless, took their orders and returned minutes later with tea and cheesecake for both of them, interrupting their already animated talking once again.

Although Louis stayed reserved, he found talking to Harry was one of the easiest things next to eating and breathing, it already felt like second nature, as strange as it sounds, and they were never at a loss for words, always bringing up new topics that made them laugh or discover commonalities they had never had with anyone before. It made him come to a halt, afraid of letting himself fall into routine he wasn't sure would even exist too easily, so he returned to listening quietly and talking only when it really seemed necessary.

Louis was just sipping at his tea as Harry started to talk about the music he grew up with since he was little due to his mother being a big fan and then the named popped up: James Taylor. And, the thing was, Louis didn't really know anyone even a bit interested in country music, so he almost choked on his tea as Harry rambled on about a man whose music he would dance to when he was the soft age of two, whose songs would calm him in every situation and who was just such a great inspiration to him that it almost hurt.

When the older man finally succeeded in putting his mug down without spilling half of his tea in the process because of his excitement, he asked Harry who was watching him, bemused expression on his face he put no effort in to hide, “You like James Taylor, too? I have almost all of his records!” This confession led to an animated conversation about the singer which had both their eyes glinting, lips spread into wide smiles and hands waving about almost violently in an attempt to support their explanations. Louis soon forgot all about his previous precaution and found himself smiling more often than he had in months.

After they had eventually calmed down enough to pick up eating their forgotten cheesecakes, Harry was still wearing his close-lipped smile while Louis' eyes as well as his whole posture had gone back to reserved, the short moment of unfreezing over their talk of music gone. They continued telling stories about their lives, but Harry noticed that Louis' were much less profound than his and that he would change the topic whenever he got uncomfortable despite seeming as if he had something to say. The curly haired man tried not to be affected by that too much, but he couldn't help wondering what the reasons behind Louis' shyness were.

Louis, on the other hand, of course knew, but he hoped that he was being subtle enough as to keep Harry from wondering why he appeared so withdrawn, his mouth never giving away more than essentially necessary. He just couldn't bring up the courage it took to trust Harry completely, his walls stood high and tall, ready to defy every intruder.

But every time he would say something close to amusing, Harry would laugh in that very special way, mouth wide open and head hanging back, drawing other people's attention without caring about it, curls moving along with every movement of his head. No matter how afraid he was of taking a further step, every time he would look into Harry's eyes that shone so bright they could compete with the sun itself, twinkling in the fluorescent lights that were strewn all around the café, he found himself thinking about trying, he caught himself wishing he could just let his walls crumble and would dare to begin again.

It seemed way too early that they finished their dishes, but eventually they both got up and despite knowing it wasn't that far, Harry insisted on walking Louis to his car.

When they were walking down the block, Harry suddenly, as if on cue, started pointing out all those things Mark always disapproved on him – his clothing and music style, his obviously not existent sense of humour – and although he complimented every single one of them, Louis felt himself being so close to driving back into his shell, to telling Harry about him, but then Harry started to talk about how he would always watch “Love, Actually” with his family for Christmas, and it was one of Louis' all time favourite films, so he just went along, because he really wanted to talk about that.

And before he knew it, they arrived at his car, still rambling on about Christmas movies, and when Harry once again donned his trademark laugh, Louis found himself tired of running, of backing out, so he let himself fall, knowing Harry's arms would be there to await him, and as he watched Harry's face scrunch up in the most endearing way as his laugh echoed around, Louis finally decided that, for the first time, what's past is past.

Because although he had spent the last eight month watching out for more and more signs of love having damaged something, someone, irreversibly, he now realised that he had just closed his eyes from the small wonder that was love actually working out, blossoming in all its beauty and never letting its flowers and petals drenched in love and affection itself wither.

Although Louis would have never thought it possible, on a Wednesday that started out like every other, spotted with fear and bad anticipation, the young man found his luck in a café that at first sight appeared like nothing special, yet it was the place where he watched love turn the tables, it was on a chair that had been pulled out for him by seemingly the sun itself, in a corner not too far away from the counter but not too in the open, Louis watched love, for the first time, begin again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it :)
> 
> Please don't forget to leave kudos/comments! xx
> 
> High heels and TOMs are equivalent. The hidden message (I wear heels now) doesn't make sense any more but whatever. Someone buy Taylor TOMs now please.


End file.
